iPod University

iPod University

Basically the same thing as the previous posts. The article above brought up some interesting points. A professor who spends years perfecting what he/she knows is not going to willingly put all of their work into digital form where anyone could take it and use it. But the idea that a school can be so large that students can't be in lecture halls is scary. Podcasts would seem to be the best solution to the problem. However, as a student, if I could just listen to a podcast instead of going to class, the choice would be easy.
Could the future be filled with Universities entirely digitized? Will education cost the same as the technology it takes to get the education? I think the prospects of this unprecedented use of iPods is both scary and exciting.

Duke University's use of iPod's

Duke University is engaged in what they call the Duke Digital Initiative (DDI). Part of the DDI is a program involving iPod's, specifically iPod's that use video. The idea is that instructors and students who wish to use iPod's for school activities can "rent" one from the university along with a microphone attachment. The teachers and students would present and do assignments through the use of podcasts and the like.
The idea is interesting but I do not think it is necessary. If a student and teacher don't ever want to see each other then they should be in internet classes. While the use of iPod's allows for a slightly more personal touch to it, I personally think that its ridiculous.

A Cultural Revolution?

After reading Dr. Strange's article "A Cultural Revolution: From Books to Silver Discs, my position hasn't much changed. I still fear for upcoming generations, that they might be blinded by all the technology. I fear that so much will be created that some might stop creating all together. While I see the use of technology in the class room (such as blogs, class pages, etc.) When I come to power in a classroom I will concentrate on thinking and discussions and not different ways that different things can do my work for me.

School Blogs

The first blog that I have found is actually a joint blog between two very different schools. The first is Patrick Henry High School in California and the second is Guangxi University in China. The students of these high schools learned about each other by posting and talking to each other through this blog. It brought two very different groups of people together. You can see it here.


The second blog I found comes from Italy, although it used thoroughly by American students. It is a high school blog entitled Bridging the Gap.
For the most part this blog is for student posts about current events. But the interesting thing is that the students who are posting on this website come from around the world. How neat would it be to compare your high school work to kids from other places on the globe?

The End of Print?

The idea that print will be dead within my years is truly horrifying. The internet is a wonderful tool and it will always be better for scavenging tid-bits of information and snatching the major news stories, but keeping people connected is what the internet is good for, not filling the gap of printed works. Replacing newspapers, magazines, etc. with podcasts and blogs is one thing...but what about REAL literature? eBooks are good but when I think of a relaxing night, its a wrinkled faded book in my hands, not a laptop. And the truth is that most people don't even know that eBooks exist and if they do they probably don't know where to get them. Besides the aesthetic and cultural implications of this shift, the internet is dangerous. Anyone can put anything on the internet. Its up to the reader to decide whether or not he/she will believe it, and without a healthy understanding of literature and a developed and keen mind which comes from READING (expanding your imagination and vocabulary) there is not much hope for future generations.

ACCESS

ACCESS, much like ALEX (Alabama Learning Exchange) is a tool of the Alabama Department of Education. ACCESS stands for Alabama Connecting Classrooms, Educators, and Students Statewide. ACCESS is mainly a distance learning tool; that is, ACCESS provides students and educators with...access...to tools, material, etc. that may not be available in their own high school. It offers, but is not limited to, advanced diplomas, supplemental courses, advanced placement courses, dual enrollment courses, additional resources to currently available material, and much like ALEX, it provides teachers with more tools to help in the classroom.

Creating Links and Adding Pictures to a Blog

To add a link to a page we can either write the Html code or use the tools that Blogger has built in. The tool to add a link looks like a link of a chain. This is a link to The Fischbowl , a blog used in training teachers in technology at the Arapahoe Colorado High School in Littleton, Colorado.


Here is a picture of the drum majors at Arapahoe High School.

How I might use ALEX

As the classroom becomes more and more connected to the internet, resources like the Alabama Learning Exchange are becoming more and more important to have. Having a central place that my students could go and get information from out of class is invaluable. I would know exactly how and what they were learning outside of the classroom. It would also give the students parents the ability to see exactly what their children were learning, which is very important to me because without support at home, most children would not do well.
But as I look at ALEX and the good things that it offers, I also cast a skeptical eye in its general direction. Since the classroom is becoming more intwined with the internet, it seems silly to limit a childs research or activities to one site. I know that this was not the intent of ALEX, but I also know that if a child starts using ALEX and his/her teacher does not challenge them to use other resources, the child will not venture out and find all the other useful information on the internet.
Will I use ALEX? Probably. But I will certainly not be limited to it, nor will I limit my students to it.

ALEX: What it is and What it do.

The Alabama Learning Exhange is a project of the Alabama Department of Education. It allows for students, teachers, and parents to access indexed information on different subjects to provide for a more unified learning process. Since the majority of the information on the website is linked to the Alabama Courses of Study by National Board Certified Teachers, there is no wasted space in their database.
The Alabama Learning Exchange provides resources like, lesson plans, web links, and interactive activities. You can search by course of study, professional learning, or just do a search for the specific information that you need. The Alabama Learning Exchange is a great resource and it is still growing.

The future.

After watching the youtube movie about the future...I have to say that I have mixed feelings. As someone who very much prefers face to face interaction, I am kind of scared by it all. But at the same time, as someone who will be teaching within the next five years, I am very excited. What it tells me, is that no matter what I teach I will never be able to get my students to absorb all the information. For all practical purposes I could take all the new information created on the first day of class and have enough material to teach for a semester. But more importantly, it tells me that instead of teaching students facts, formulas, and permutations, I will be charged with teaching them to think. Which is very exciting.

power point

My power point presentation is going to be on the different jobs that I have held plus the different musical endeavours that I have been a part of since and during my high school career. It will include pictures of my bands and more importantly all my guitars. It is entitled Music and Food.

Roll Tide

Second Blog...(test)

Tonight @ Yankee Stadium, Showdown for AL.

Boston Red Sox vs. New York Yankees.

Woot.

First Post....kekeke

I want a cigarette.
Really,
really,
really,
really,
badly.
But, alas, I am in the computer lab.

:(